opened as if on cue. The necklace
landed in her lap with a soft thud.
Surprise
registered. The shop owner had said she wouldn’t be able to take
off the necklace until her wish was fulfilled. Was Tariq releasing
her from her wish? Could he do that?
Then his last words registered. Words that
sent a chill down her spine.
There is still time to save yourself from my
curse .
* * *
Darkness
surrounded Tariq. The cell was cold, the floor covered in a layer
of dirt. As he slid to the ground, leaned his back against the
frigid stone wall, and closed his eyes, he told himself he’d done
the right thing. Leaving before he corrupted Mira’s soul was the
only choice he could have
made.
It was one thing to corrupt the soul of a
human who went looking for trouble. But Mira was different. If he
tainted Mira’s soul, he’d be no better than Zoraida. And even he
wasn’t willing to become like her. Not even for his own
brothers.
He wasn’t sure how long he slept, but when
he awoke, he knew a visit from Zoraida was inevitable. She had to
be pissed over what he’d done. She could see—through the opal he
wore—into the human world and watched his targets. But he was
willing to take the risk. Because for the first time, something
besides his own suffering mattered.
Footsteps echoed outside his cell. He opened
his eyes just as metal clanged against metal, and the cell door
swung outward.
“You’ve a visitor,” the guard barked.
The guard shoved a half-naked man into the
cell. Long, dark hair covered his face. He tripped, started to go
down, but Tariq lurched to his feet and caught him before he hit
the floor. “Nasir?”
The cell door clanged shut again as Nasir
lifted his bruised face toward Tariq and tried to smile. His bottom
lip was split and bloodied, and he was missing a tooth. “You
recognized me even with my makeover? Guess Zoraida’s guards aren’t
doing a good enough job.”
Carefully, Tariq lowered his brother to the
floor. Disbelief and rage whipped through him. “What did she do to
you?”
Nasir grimaced as he scooted back to lean
against the wall. His skin was dirty and bruised, and he was
thinner than Tariq remembered. As if he’d not only been beaten but
starved as well. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“How did she find you?” It was the first
time Tariq had talked to his brother in nearly ten years. Not since
the day he’d been captured by Zoraida’s goons along the Jagged
Coast and brought to this hellhole.
Nasir lifted a shoulder, dropped it. He
shook his hair back from his face, a move he’d been doing since
they were kids, and for the first time, Tariq saw a flicker of the
warrior he knew his brother to be in the battered djinn at his
side. “We got a request for help from the Wastelands. Ghuls were
reportedly ravaging villages. My unit was moving through the Red
Desert when we came across a small settlement, still smoking. They
were lying in wait. Ghuls. Wreaking havoc. A battle resulted. I
heard a scream, went looking. Came across an innocent about to be
raped. I tried to help. Turned out she wasn’t so innocent.”
“Zoraida?”
Nasir nodded. “The Ghuls were hers. They
jumped me before I even realized what was happening.”
Nasir’s explanation made perfect sense. His
protective streak was legendary. He hated injustice, and when it
involved a female, there was no keeping him sidelined. Not if he
thought he could help. Tariq knew that protective streak was a
result of guilt. The war between the tribes had been going on for
hundreds of years, but Nasir had always been the pacifist in the
family. The one who thought negotiations and treaties were the way
to end wars, not battles. Their father disagreed. As prince, a
military career was required, but being a general, commanding
legions, had never been part of who Nasir was. Until, that was, his
betrothed was killed.
She’d lived in a small coastal village. One
that built ships for the kingdom. Ships used in the
landed in her lap with a soft thud.
Surprise
registered. The shop owner had said she wouldn’t be able to take
off the necklace until her wish was fulfilled. Was Tariq releasing
her from her wish? Could he do that?
Then his last words registered. Words that
sent a chill down her spine.
There is still time to save yourself from my
curse .
* * *
Darkness
surrounded Tariq. The cell was cold, the floor covered in a layer
of dirt. As he slid to the ground, leaned his back against the
frigid stone wall, and closed his eyes, he told himself he’d done
the right thing. Leaving before he corrupted Mira’s soul was the
only choice he could have
made.
It was one thing to corrupt the soul of a
human who went looking for trouble. But Mira was different. If he
tainted Mira’s soul, he’d be no better than Zoraida. And even he
wasn’t willing to become like her. Not even for his own
brothers.
He wasn’t sure how long he slept, but when
he awoke, he knew a visit from Zoraida was inevitable. She had to
be pissed over what he’d done. She could see—through the opal he
wore—into the human world and watched his targets. But he was
willing to take the risk. Because for the first time, something
besides his own suffering mattered.
Footsteps echoed outside his cell. He opened
his eyes just as metal clanged against metal, and the cell door
swung outward.
“You’ve a visitor,” the guard barked.
The guard shoved a half-naked man into the
cell. Long, dark hair covered his face. He tripped, started to go
down, but Tariq lurched to his feet and caught him before he hit
the floor. “Nasir?”
The cell door clanged shut again as Nasir
lifted his bruised face toward Tariq and tried to smile. His bottom
lip was split and bloodied, and he was missing a tooth. “You
recognized me even with my makeover? Guess Zoraida’s guards aren’t
doing a good enough job.”
Carefully, Tariq lowered his brother to the
floor. Disbelief and rage whipped through him. “What did she do to
you?”
Nasir grimaced as he scooted back to lean
against the wall. His skin was dirty and bruised, and he was
thinner than Tariq remembered. As if he’d not only been beaten but
starved as well. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“How did she find you?” It was the first
time Tariq had talked to his brother in nearly ten years. Not since
the day he’d been captured by Zoraida’s goons along the Jagged
Coast and brought to this hellhole.
Nasir lifted a shoulder, dropped it. He
shook his hair back from his face, a move he’d been doing since
they were kids, and for the first time, Tariq saw a flicker of the
warrior he knew his brother to be in the battered djinn at his
side. “We got a request for help from the Wastelands. Ghuls were
reportedly ravaging villages. My unit was moving through the Red
Desert when we came across a small settlement, still smoking. They
were lying in wait. Ghuls. Wreaking havoc. A battle resulted. I
heard a scream, went looking. Came across an innocent about to be
raped. I tried to help. Turned out she wasn’t so innocent.”
“Zoraida?”
Nasir nodded. “The Ghuls were hers. They
jumped me before I even realized what was happening.”
Nasir’s explanation made perfect sense. His
protective streak was legendary. He hated injustice, and when it
involved a female, there was no keeping him sidelined. Not if he
thought he could help. Tariq knew that protective streak was a
result of guilt. The war between the tribes had been going on for
hundreds of years, but Nasir had always been the pacifist in the
family. The one who thought negotiations and treaties were the way
to end wars, not battles. Their father disagreed. As prince, a
military career was required, but being a general, commanding
legions, had never been part of who Nasir was. Until, that was, his
betrothed was killed.
She’d lived in a small coastal village. One
that built ships for the kingdom. Ships used in the
Similar Books
